The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-07-23

altefWaru dreadful accident occurred to me. It was a dark night, and had come out in my slippers, and as was running across the road one of them came off, and while I was stoop- ing to find it man came dashing round the corner and knocked me down. the wheels passing over my leg. It was found that the limb was broken, and 1 was taken to the hos pital.
 ''lt was more serious case than was supposed when 1 was admitted, and from the first there were doubts as to whether the leg below the knee could be mended or would have to be amputated. But I give you my word, sir, that such was my affection for Miss Brown that felt much more anxiety respecting the letter I had sent to her than did personally about my limb. Supposing that, after con- sldering the matter, she consented to have me, and meanwhile the doctors found 1t necessary to take my leg off, that might make all the difference. If she felt anything like SO much love for me as felt for her she might not object to wait few weeks. or even q month or two, until the limb was cured; but there were few young Wo- men whose warmth of affection would not cool if wooden leg she had never bargained for was unexpectedly intro- duced to her notice. I wished even that l had not written, but it was too late for regrets on that score, and what l most dreaded on her account happened. They gave me chloroform next day and had my leg off before was aware of it, and when came to myself again l found on my pillow a letter that had been brought from my lodgings. It was from Miss Nancy Brown. She had evidently heard nothing respecting my accident. She wrote to say that she had spent a long and fearful night in deciding what her reply to my loving letter should be, and obeying the dictates of her heart, she felt that she must say Yes. As to the difference in our ages, she | agreed with me that that was tri- fling matter, and not worth consider ing; and, in conclusion, she asked me to name an evening when I would meet her alone (the word was under lined), when we could make further arrangements! It was terrible blow her accepting me, and being so cru- ely incapable of responding, mean and l have no doubt that frettino about it retarded my recovery. I did m hot Ao write, and l did not like to send a message, and as Miss Brown did not know where 1 lived, and could not make inquiries about me, it was sev- eral days before she was made aware of what had happened. When was able to communicate with her by writing, 1 did so, and told her all about it, and begged of her to take compassion on me, and not withdraw her consent because had been so un- fortunate, or, at all events, to wait until we met again before she did so. l did not like the idea of her coming to the hospital to see mo. thought 1t would be better to wait until I was well and had got used to the wooden leg and might not appear so awkward With it. She wrote back the kindest letter. She was deeply pained and grieved, she said, to hear of my acci- dent and its result, but, having once pledged her word, it was not the loss of mere limb on my part that would make her false to it, and she was will ling to wait for me if it was for a year.
 But she did not have to wait as long as that. In less than three months was able to leave the hospital, and to walk tolerably well with the aid of a stick, and my first journey you may depend was to - street. had writ ten to say that I was coming, and I was disappointed that the elderly one opened the door to me. She gave warm welcome, though, and had I been her only son she could not have kissed and hugged me more affection ately when we got into the parlor While she was doing so asked where Nancy was, and if she was quite well. My niece, you mean,' she replied. She's we'll enough, an ungrateful mink. She has gone away and left me- was so astounded that could not speak word. 'Yes,' she contin- ued, we couldn't agree together any longer, and l thought, in view of what l suppose will soon happen, she had best go and live with another aunt she has, Them said I, you are both of the same name?' Both Ann Browns, or Nancy, as we are both called,' she replied. This is Ann ter race-my terrace. All the houses so named are mine. Ours, suppose, I shall soon have to say,' and she gave me another loving squeeze. Then it was that the demon of avarice tempted me. l saw the true position of things in a flash, as it were. My advances had been misunderstood and accented